1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a removable handle grip piece for use in allowing the user to more easily grip the handle of a mug. The handle grip piece may be deployed at the handle of any mug, and also may be removed and deployed at the handle of another mug.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention is applicable to mugs and beverage containers alike, which shall hereinafter be collectively referred to as "mugs". These mugs are typically made of ceramic material because ceramic is easy to clean, does not carry any unpleasant odors, and is effective in maintaining the temperature of the liquid contained therein. However, ceramics are not the only materials that can be used, and other materials such as porcelain, glass, plastics and stoneware, for example, may also be used for making beverage containers and mugs according to the present invention.
The conventional mugs that are presently available today are typically provided with a curved handle. These curved handles are also provided in a standard shape and size. Unfortunately, these curved handles are not easy to grip. The most effective way of gripping such curved handles is to press the palm of the gripping hand against the outer surface of the curved handle at about the center portion of the curved handle, wrap the four fingers around the curved handle, and then press the thumb against the top of the curved handle. Since the conventional curved handle is made of a thin curved bar, the inside of the user's four fingers do not actually grip or contact the inside surface of the curved handle, so that the user's grip of the handle is not a firm and secure one. A shaky grip can be troublesome if the user is carrying a full mug containing hot fluids because of the potential for spillage.
In response to these problems, an attempt has been made to improve the user's grip of a curved handle on a conventional mug. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior attempt in which a mug 10 is provided with a conventional curved handle 12. The curved handle 12 has a central curved portion 14, a top curved portion 16 integrally connected to the wall 24 of the mug 10, and a bottom curved portion 18 also integrally connected to the wall 24 of the mug 10. A gripping bar 20 is provided integrally with the curved handle 12, with an upper end of the gripping bar 20 integrally connected between the central portion 14 and the top portion 16, and a lower end of the gripping bar 20 integrally connected between the central portion 14 and the bottom portion 18. The gripping bar 20 is arcuate such that its central portion 22 is closest to the wall 24 of the mug 10 and furthest from the central portion 14 of the curved handle 12, while its upper and lower ends are furthest from the wall 24 of the mug 10. The gripping bar 20 further comprises an abutment 26 extending from the upper outer surface of the curved handle 12 and acting as a thumb rest, and a similar abutment 28 extending from the lower outer surface of the curved handle 12. Three ridges 30 define concave regions 32 for receiving the inside surface of the user's fingers.
In use, the user would rest the palm of the gripping hand against the outer surface of the central portion 14 of the curved handle 12. The user then wraps the fingers around the gripping bar 20 so that the fingers rest against the concave regions 32. The thumb is pressed against the upper abutment 26. The grip is improved because the four fingers can now firmly grip the gripping bar 20 to achieve a firmer and more secure grip, as opposed to the conventional curved handle in which the four fingers do not have a stable object, such as the gripping bar 20, to place a firm grip on.
While the gripping bar 20 of FIG. 1 achieves the result of improving a user's grip, it suffers from the drawback that it is integral and must therefore be provided with the mug. Therefore, the consumer must buy the new mug with the gripping bar to obtain the improved grip. However, there presently exists many conventional mugs provided with conventional or standard curved handles, and it is not feasible for a consumer to completely replace all these conventional mugs with the new mugs that incorporate the gripping bar 20.
Thus, there remains a need for a simple and removable handle grip piece which is effective in improving a user's grip of the handle, and which may be adapted for use with any handle of any mug, including the conventional curved handle of a conventional mug, to offer the consumer with the flexibility of using such a handle grip piece with any mug.